Foldable porch-swing.



W. A. SLATTER & J. J. KINDELL.

FOLDABLE PORCH SWING. APPLICAT|0N FILED FEB. 18. 1913.

1, 146,358. Patented July 13, 1915.

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W. A. SLATTER & J. J. KINDELL.

FOLDABLE PORCH SWING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18.1913.

1, 146,358. Patented July 13, 1915.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFroE.

WILLIAM A. SLATTER AND JAMES J. KINDELL, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

FOLDABLE PORCH-SWING.

Application filed February 18, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. SLAT- TER and JAMES J. KINDELL, citizens of the United States of America, and residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foldable Porch-Swings, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to seats or benches but is particularly applicable to porch swings of the type comprising a suspended bench whose main claims to novelty are dependent upon and arise from the fact that it is a foldable porch swing in contradistinction to those of the knockdown type.

As far as we are aware, there has been no porch swing yet built which is practical for everyday use and practically foldable. The difficulty has seemed to mainly reside in the fact, that to produce a comfortable bench, the back must be inclined away from the base or seat. This is apparently simple enough until it is remembered that there must be provided arm-pieces and that these arm pieces should fit the obtuse angle formed between the back and base. It is just at this point that the obstacle arises for the reason that any arm-piece which fits this obtuse angle has inner corners which are not right. angles. Yet, both the base and back should be rectangular in form and usually are so in the attainment of the most reasonable and most compact construction.

If the arm-pieces are hinged to the back in the normal manner so that they may fold outside of the upwardly folded base, the obtuse angles of the lower inner corners of the said arm-pieces are of course greater than the right angular lower corners of the back and, in consequence, the lower outer corners of the arm-pieces mustprotrude below the lower edge of the back. As a result, whenever the folded seat is set down it will rest upon these protruding points and the hinges of the arm-pieces will either be se-f verely strained or broken. If the armpieces are hinged to the base by normal hinges, the same thing would occur in that there would be protruding corners, unless the bench structure were varled from the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Serial No. 749,212.

and without necessarily varying from that most desirable type of bench with sub stantially. rectangular back and base forming an obtuse angle and having arm-pieces fitting such angle. We have made this feasible by so mounting the arm pieces that they may fold to a position within the circumference of the back. As a matter of fact, we have provided such a hinge structure that the arm-pieces cannot drop below thelower edge of the back for the reason that the very structure of the hinge limits such downward swinging when the arm pieces are in folded position, although the hinge structure is at the same time effective to permit of re-alinement of the arm-pieces so that they may rest flat againstthe upfolded base.

Our invention further consists in the provision of means for relieving the strain which would otherwise fall upon the hinges when the arm-pieces are folded, this means being further effective to lock the parts of the bench in folded position.

Another feature of importance in our in vention resides in the means for locking the parts together when they are in extended or operative position, the form of this locking means being such that natural strains upon the bench only tend to make the locking action more sure.

The preferred embodiment ofour invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the bench of our porch swing in position for use. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bench in the position shown in Fig. 1. .Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the bench in folded position,

showing in dotted lines what theflposition of p the arm-pieces would be if the normal manner of hinging were used. Fig. A is a detail showing our compound hinge structure in side elevation and partial section. Fig. 5 is va detail in front elevation of this compound hinge together with the adjacent parts of the bench.

In the drawings, the bench of the swing is shown as comprising a back and base, respectively designated 1 and 2, which are connected at their juncture by pivots 3. The seat or base may be maintained practically horizontal while the back is inclined away from vertical so that the angle between the base and the back is obtuse, which has been found to be the most desirable for comfort. The base or seat carries upon its ends near the front edge or free edge thereof angle hooks 4t for a purpose to be described.

At the center of the back and near the lower edge thereof we have placed a bracing element 5 to partially support the center of the seat or base and to prevent sagging at this point. At either end of the back 1 are mounted arm-pieces 6 in a manner best shown by Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. The essential feature of this mounting consists in a compound hinge of peculiar type, it being comprised of leaves 7 and 8 connected by a pivot pin 9 adapted for horizontal disposition and a plate 10 having a vertical pivot stud 11 serving as a complement thereto. The leaf 7 is secured to the back 1 by screws 12 while the leaf 8 is apertured for the reception and working retention of the headed pivot stud 11 which is secured to the upper edge of the arm-piece through the medium of screws 13 passing through the plate 10 which carries such stud. It is thought that the action will be apparent. The arm-piece may be swung outwardly and upwardly about the horizontal aXis of the pivot pin 9 and then may be swung laterally about the vertical axis of the pivot stud 11. The lower inner end of each arm-piece may be braced by means of a dowel pin 141-v carried by the back and fitting in a socket 15 in the arm-piece while the front end of the arm-piece is provided with a loop socket 16 for the reception of the hook 4.

In operation, the bench when in position for use has the arm-pieces supported at their upper rear ends by the compound hinges and at their lower rear ends by the dowel and socket fittings. At the lower forward ends, the hooks 4 fit in the loop sockets 16 and the sides are not only braced against laterally outward movement and against laterally inward movement but the more weight is applied to the seat or base, the more firm becomes the locking or bracing action.

To fold the bench, the seat or base is swung upwardly against the back. Then the arm-pieces are swung outwardly and up wardly about their horizontal pivots until the dowel pins are cleared, when they are swung laterally upon their vertical pivots. The result obtained in this lateral swinging is not so apparent at first glance but we desire to especially point out that the armpieces, though lifted initially above what would seem to be their natural positions, cannot return to such natural positions after the lateral movement has once begun. The arms cannot sag because the pintle 9 and the plate 8 have no possible movement in that direction. At any rate, the very swinging of the arm-pieces laterally prevents them from dropping at their outer ends and consequently prevent the lower outer corners of the arm-pieces from protruding. At the same time, the horizontal pivots of the leaves permit the said arm-pieces to assume a plane substantially parallel with the base and back. Now, though the hinges alone will maintain the arm-pieces within the circumference of the back, we deem it well to obviate the strain, however slight, by the provision of hooks 17 upon the under side of the seat or base and upon which the-armpieces are hung. These hooks serve a double purpose for they not only assist in supporting the arm-pieces but they lock the back, base and arm-pieces together as a unit, so that transportation can have no ill effect upon the swing when folded.

The swing bench may be suspended in any manner as by hooks 18.

It will be understood that the showing in the drawings is mainly for the purpose of more clearly setting forth the principles of our invention and that the structural features may vary.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A folding seat comprising a base, a rectangular back hinged to and forming an obtuse angle with said base, and arm-pieces constructed to fit such obtuse angle and mounted to permit swinging to folded position within the periphery of the folded base and back.

2. A folding seat comprising a base, a rectangular back hinged to and forming an obtuse angle with said base, arm-pieces constructed to fit such obtuse angle, and hinges of such a form that said arm-pieces during folding are positively brought within the periphery of the folded base and back.

3. A folding seat comprising a base, a back forming an obtuse angle with said base, armpieces constructed to fit such obtuse angle, and hinges for connecting such arm-pieces to the seat and whosev elements comprise horizontal and vertical pivots so disposed that said arm-pieces may swing to folded position within the periphery of the folded base and back.

. 4. A folding seat comprising a base, a back forming an obtuse angle with said base, armpieces constructed to fit such obtuse angle, and compound hinges connecting said armpieces to said back, each hinge comprising a plurality of pivots substantially at right angles to each other.

5. A folding seat comprising a base, a back forming an obtuse angle with said base, arm- 5 pieces constructed to fit such obtuse angle,

compound hinges connecting said arm-pieces to said seat at one corner thereof, said hinges being of a form to permit said arm-pieces to swing to folded position within the periph- 10 ery of the folded base and back, means for bracing the other corner of said arm-pieces, and means for connecting the free ends of the arm-pieces to the seat. In testimony whereof we hereby affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. SLATTER. JAMES J. KINDELL. Witnesses:

HAROLD C. ALLREAD, r, I. E. ONEILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

